Freshfield Nursery School, Stockport
Freshfield Nursery School is a nursery school for pupils aged 2 to 5 in Stockport. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Freshfield Nursery School in detail
Freshfield Nursery School in its own words
In its own words: "The Department for Education has introduced a statutory duty for schools to promote British Values more actively, and to ensure they are taught in schools. At Freshfield Nursery School we are committed to serving our community. We recognise the multi-cultural, multi-faith and ever-changing nature of the United Kingdom."
Coming up: an admissions event on Friday 13 November 2026, an open day on Friday 13 November 2026, an admissions event on Thursday 26 November 2026 and an open day on Thursday 26 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Stockport
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Who goes there
4.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 14.8% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 10 pupils (9.3%) received SEN support and 1 (0.9%) had an education, health and care plan. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is East Didsbury (Manchester Metrolink), about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Fylde Road (opposite), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Freshfield Nursery School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from October 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Children absolutely love coming to Freshfield - they're happy, excited and well-behaved. The school excels at outdoor learning with unique activities like pond exploration and campfire toasting that help children develop important skills like resilience and teamwork. The nursery also does an excellent job supporting children with additional needs, ensuring they learn alongside their classmates.
Key Strengths
- Children are happy, well-behaved, polite and respectful with strong concentration levels and pride in their achievements
- Excellent outdoor learning program including pond exploration, campfire activities, and tree climbing that develops resilience and teamwork
- Strong focus on communication, language and literacy with effective phonics curriculum and rich book environment
- Early identification of children with additional needs and effective support so they can follow the same curriculum
- Well-established routines that help children develop independence, responsibility and life skills
Areas for Improvement
- Curriculum in some areas, particularly for two-year-olds, lacks clearly defined small steps of learning over time, meaning some children don't learn all they should
- Staff in some curriculum areas don't provide enough back-and-forth conversations to help children talk about and understand their learning
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Outdoor pond exploration with minibeasts and frog/butterfly life cycles, campfire activities with marshmallow toasting, tree climbing, eco-monitors program with recycling and bird box making
Freshfield Nursery School continues to be a good school where children thrive, arrive happy and excited, and receive a warm welcome from staff who know them well. The school has high expectations for children's achievement and provides a broad, rich curriculum with strong outdoor learning opportunities.
At a Glance
4.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 4 nearby nursery schools
Keep up with Freshfield Nursery School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Freshfield Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Freshfield Nursery School is in Stockport; for families living there:
Apply to Stockport for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 0 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Stockport is 8 (the median across 135 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Stockport
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Stockport
Across Stockport council
Places available
3,325
Applications
3,368
Got 1st preference
79.9%
Got preferred school
94.2%
All secondary applications across Stockport council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
10
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
10.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
108
Total Pupils
57
Boys
51
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
2
Teachers
54.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
2026 data
Questions parents ask about Freshfield Nursery School
What is Freshfield Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
Freshfield Nursery School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Freshfield Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When Freshfield Nursery School is oversubscribed, Stockport allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Freshfield Nursery School?
Freshfield Nursery School has around 108 pupils on roll. 5% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to Freshfield Nursery School?
Apply through Stockport's coordinated admissions process, naming Freshfield Nursery School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Freshfield Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 0 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Stockport is 8 (the median across 135 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Freshfield Nursery School?
Freshfield Nursery School is at 42 Mauldeth Road, Heaton Mersey, Stockport, Cheshire, SK4 3NB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)